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Saturday, October 25, 2014

My investigation into the Iris Troiana would not be complete without
reference to botanical studies of local Iris specimens. This was necessary from
a creative patternmaking experience, or rather from an applied arts
perspective. Creative ideas were developed extensively over the past few weeks,
as I had to make decisions on suitable creative outputs.

I have had input from various colleagues round ‘feminism’ associated with the
flower as outlined in the previous Iris blog post. Their suggestions contributed to the
consolidation of a number of concepts and ideas and more importantly the viewer’s
possible interpretation of the intended artist’s underlining statements.

A
whole host of ideas are now possible as I sought to focus on the most
significant option in terms of a scheduled exhibition. I was approached to
exhibit at Art on Paper at Stanley 44, and this particular blog entry sheds
some light on the work to be displayed at the exhibition.

First I had to focus on an artist book to be exhibited next to the
framed ballpoint pen drawing of the Iris Troiana; homage to Albrecht Durer -
follow the provided link for the historical significance and relevance to this
particular creative output. Reference material is always essential in the
conceptual phase, and in the back of mind has been the notion of acknowledging
the work of botanical artists in the formulation of my initial concepts and
ideas for this creative endeavour.

Featured here are botanical studies of irises by Barbara Jeppe (image on the left) – one of
her many publications on local flora. Inge Hyson one of my colleagues delivered
the publication to my office a few weeks ago. Inge Hyson is an artist in her
own right, flora at the centre of her creative endeavours. Jeppe is a talented illustrator
and amateur scientist in the study of local flora; her passion has no boundaries,
and is perfect reference material for this work of mine. It demonstrates her
commitment and determination as a hobbyist to fulfil various roles and
expertise, both as an artist and scientist. She did so intuitively and her
passion for the subject gained her international recognition in terms of
exhibitions, locally and abroad, specifically in England and America.She was involved with the publication of
eight books on the subject of local flora and for her contribution received a
number of awards from professional bodies, including the Botanical Society of
South Africa and the South African Association of Nurserymen - to mention a
few.

As a specialist in scientific illustration and a fine artist, Barbara is
one of the most efficient I have known in my more than three decade involvement
with the production of botanical art books. Barbara’s organisation of design on
the paper is always well conceived; minute details are so intelligently
portrayed that they do no destroy the artistic conception of the whole; they
are drawn with the ultimate care and observation in order to analyse the
complexity of structure and so reveal to the viewer the beauty of the plants in
their living manifestation.(Bales:
November 1998)

Referencing botanical studies of the Iris is critical in the research
and development phase of the artwork and supports the broad range or series of
works of art that is to follow. An extensive and broad investigation is
required to provide a firm foundation on which to pin ideas and concepts and or
visualise and realise art works.Albrecht Durer’s drawing of Iris Troiana was in many ways the forerunner
of botanical studies of flora and fauna – his study of the rabbit a perfect
example.

It was my intention to render the Iris in a format synonymous with
botanical studies – hence the fact that it replicates the Durer work in form
and shape (almost an exact copy). There are however significant intentional creative
shifts. The iris was rendered in ballpoint pen inks – luminosity and colour intensity
is achieved like no other drawing method.

Although the drawing had to be beautifully
and masterfully rendered; a feast for the eye, both as a flower and a fine
specimen of the iconic Iris, there had to be a significant shift away from the
stereotypical rendition of the flower. This was necessary to render the work
innovative and cutting edge from a contemporary art perspective. The work had
to transcend the obvious illustrative constraints and transport the captivated
viewer to another level.

The most significant departure was therefore the fact that the Iris had
to be rendered in rich reds, blues and pinks, as well as luminous greens and
yellows (the stem). The illustrated flower was drawn in colours of the flesh,
with obvious sexual connotations, but ultimately the focus was on rendering
bruised skin – related to pain and suffering as a result of abuse.

The colours added an emotional touch to the
visual experience, seen from the viewer’s perspective –to unleash and or amplify
the any emotions evoked in the viewer.The
pain and suffering works on a number of levels - one is personal the other addresses
the changes in art practice and appreciation.

Therein lies the ambiguity of the illustrated art work. With the advent
of post modernism the barriers between art, design, craft and architecture came
down.Visual culture is studied, valued and
appreciated in the broadest terms. The gap between what could be termed high
and low art does not exist anymore.

Far greater value is placed on the artist’s
intent, concepts and the viewer’s response to the art statement..The use of the readymade, advances in digital
technology, new materials and exhibitions like Agents of the 3D Revolution
continues to have a serious impact on the value we place in the making of art –
rendering the skill and craft of art making irrelevant or rather insignificant.

It is within this context that I explored pattern-making options using
digital technology etc. I in particular explored the symmetrical and
asymmetrical versions of the rendered Iris, in an attempt to celebrate the
handmade – thinking through craft in making art statements, whilst
acknowledging the role that new technology brings to the creative experience
(for the maker and viewer). The crafts for centuries were associated with tasks
for woman and relegated as hobbies. Pottery,
weaving and embroidery were classified as des Arts
décoratifs. The decorative arts
or crafts were often concerned with the design and manufacture of beautiful
objects that had a utilitarian, ritualistic and or decorative function.

However decoration is no longer considered a crime (less is no longer
more) but an opportunity to add meaning and value to our experience across the
arts (art, design and architecture). Surface development; textures and patterns
are therefore an important ingredient in making meaning and adding value in a
variety of creative options. Artists have begun to embrace ‘thinking through
crafts’ in creative practice – as a means to personal expression. The
utilisation of fauna and flora in the art of patternmaking incorporating
symbolism (semiotics) etc. has broaden the creative scope of artist and
designers. A far cry from Albrecht Durer’s advice; “ Life in nature makes us
recognize the truth of these things, so look at it diligently, follow it, and
do not turn away from nature to your own thoughts…. For, verily, art is
embedded in nature; whoever can draw her out, has her….” Speis
der Malerknaben (Food for Young painters), Salus 1513.

Making meaning from a viewer experience perspective.

Read Peep and Reap – title of the work.

The beauty of the Iris and the skill in the making of the art work
(drawing skills) including the pattern making acts as some form of camouflage
(disguise) luring the viewer to enjoy the beauty of the flower and the drawings skills. Up close the viewer is transported into an emotional experience –
the colour reminiscent of pain and suffering. The use of blues and pinks,
greens and yellows (of bruised skin) evokes the reality of the situation – alerting
the viewer to the death of the handmade, the extensive use by artists of the readymade and in direct response to sloppy craftsmanship in ‘the art of not
making’. This is further enhanced by the fact that the
ballpoint pen drawing will eventually fade way.

The drawing is exhibited framed, behind a blind providing protection
from directly sunlight. The viewer therefore has the opportunity to view the
work knowing his action of peeping and or drawing
the blind (drag and or pull) will
cause pain and suffering to the masterfully crafted ballpoint pen drawing - a
metaphor for abuse and the death of crafts – in response to the closing down of
ceramic departments and the scaling down of teaching craft skills in the making
of art work – due to advances in technology (3d printing etc.)

The artist’s book has always occupied an
invidious position in the pecking order of the arts, because of its
interdisciplinary nature, straddling both art and literature. Although a
legitimate art form with a long and interesting history, some people still
question its autonomy as primary means of artistic expression. The origins of
the artist’s book as it is known today can convincingly be traced back to the
illuminated manuscript in the Middle Ages.

Since then it has evolved from a
form of illumination, to illustration (especially in the 19th century); from
illustration to experimentation (especially in the 20th century); and from
experimentation to installation, as is evident from many contemporary book art
exhibitions.

Some theorists consider the artist’s book as the form of modernist
artistic expression, pointing out that every major movement in art and
literature, and within all the many avant-garde, experimental movements and
independent groups whose contributions have defined the shape of modernist
artistic activity, has yielded phenomenal artists’ books. These include such
artists as Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Joan Miro, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso,
and many more. They laid the foundation of the conceptual and thematic richness
that is nowadays associated with artists’ books.

An artist’s book (or often also referred to as livre
d’artiste) is defined as a book, or book-like object in which an artist has
had a major input beyond illustration or authorship, where the final appearance
of the book owes much to an artist’s interference and/or participation, where
the book is the manifestation of the artist’s creativity, where the book is an
original work of art in itself.

The term livre d’artiste, however, is often
used to refer to large-sized format, elaborately produced and hand-coloured
books, made from rare materials, with virtuoso printing and fine binding,
targeting a sophisticated, elite market.

An exhibition of artists’ books at GALLERY AOP
questions these notions and definitions of this unusual form of art: What is an
original? Does it have to be unique or can the artist also edition the book so
that it is essentially a /multiple? Who is the maker of an artist’s book: the
artist who has the idea, or those who produce the book?

What kind of production
means can be included in this definition? Is an artist’s book restricted to the
codex form (the bound shape, in other words)? What about scrolls? Tablets?
Reeds? The clutch of books at GALLERY AOP engages with these
questions in an interesting way. Some of the artists’ books, for example those
by Judith Mason and Alice Goldin, use unique illustrations to accompany written
texts.

Others, by such artists as Ruth Sacks, alter the words of a well-known
text into visual, not only verbal, representations. Yet other books, like those
by Gail Berman, Christine Dixie, Mark Kannemeyer / Lorcan White and Jonah Sack
are primarily visual, with no verbal reference whatsoever.

Walter Battiss made
book sculptural objects from ordinary books. So does Stephan Erasmus, a
contemporary book artist. Steven Sack, in turn, takes the notion of the
artist’s book to a new level with his bamboo diaries; the various segments of
long pieces of reeds form the basis of a weekly or monthly diary entry
consisting of written and painted elements, as well as of found objects. These
reeds, horizontally displayed, or ‘installed’, form the chapters of an
autobiography. Eugene Hön contributes an interactive artist’s book. Small
wonder some critics refer to artists’ books as a form of “intermedia”!

Title image: Ceramic installation with projected animation titled, and the ship sails on. In celebration of the Chinese year of the dragon. Follow link to view video on You Tube.EUGENE HŐN : CERAMIC ARTISTThe purpose of this blog is to inform you of the creative thinking behind my ceramic statements.I will therefore provide reference material to facilitate greater interaction with you in the development of ceramic concepts. The expressed views and posted comments are intended to illustrate how the ceramic statements act as a vehicle for an expanding discourseon relevant art, design and craft issues.

About Me

I am a ceramic artist with a passion for drawing. My ceramic statements are a creative response to the literary sources I choose to read. I am also an academic, recently appointed Director of the FADA Gallery at the University of Johannesburg. I am an artist that celebrates the handmade, with strong concepts and meaning that straddles the disciplines of ceramics, sculpture, drawing, artist’s books, digital printing, animation, video or digital projection Installation and ultimately design.